Abstract

Introduction

In Chile, the mortality rate from colorectal cancer (CRC) has been increasing rapidly by 60% in the past ten years. Therefore, the national program in screening for CRC was started in 2012, based on the standardized protocol supervised by Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Tokyo, Japan, using an immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT). In this study, we would like to report the first 22-month results at one local hospital in Punta Arenas City, where colorectal cancer is prone in Chile.

Methods

Between June 2012 and March 2014, iFOBT were performed. Colonoscopies were done by Chilean doctors and/ or Japanese doctors to participants with iFOBT value &gE;100ng/ml or family history of CRC. First, a Chilean pathologist diagnosed histological findings, thereafter Japanese pathologist reviewed all histologic slides independently.

Results

iFOBT were performed for 4124 individuals. Of those, 485 participants with iFOBT value &gE;100ng/ml or family history of CRC underwent a colonoscopy. 97.7% of the patients were performed total colonoscopies. Lesions were found in 291 cases and histologic samples were taken. 391(60.9%) lesions were diagnosed as conventional (tubular or tubulovillous) adenoma and 67 (10.4%) accounted for adenocarcinoma in 642 lesions. Serrated adenomas were found in 13 cases (2.0%) and hyperplastic polyps were found in 97 lesions (15.1%). There were 6 non-epithelial tumors including two low-grade lymphomas. In cases of adenocarcinoma, 57 (85.1%) lesions were diagnosed as Tis or T1 according to TNM classification.

Conclusion

The percentage of early colorectal cancers identified by iFOBT was high. Going forward this national program in screening for CRC is expected to reduce the mortality rate of CRC in Chile.